Orchid: Pantone color of the year

How will you color your spring?

Make no mistake, the Winter of 2013 – 2014 was a very cold one for many with more snow than usual, especially on the East Coast. At last, we are starting to see our way clear to sunny days, chirping birds, and blooming buds.

This is the perfect time to bring some color into your home. Why not a bright purple to liven things up? Say, orchid, a popular choice since Pantone has named ‘Radiant Orchid’ the 2014 color of the year.

An easy way to get into spring is to fill your home with some radiant orchid, literally. Orchid plants offer long lasting blooms with minimal effort. They are available in nurseries, flower and garden shops, and even local supermarkets. They make great gifts with sturdy buds to please mom’s, grads, and brides & grooms.

It makes sense that orchids are easy to find –according to the US Botanic Garden “about 10 percent of all plant species are orchids.” Outdoor gardening with orchids is a possibility too: In the US the plants are native in states from Wisconsin to Florida, and from California to Pennsylvania.